Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Oliver Hazard Perry" - New World

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He was the son of Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, and his younger brother was [[Matthew C. Perry]], the brother-in-law of [[John Slidell]].
 
He was the son of Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, and his younger brother was [[Matthew C. Perry]], the brother-in-law of [[John Slidell]].
  
Educated in Newport, [[Rhode Island]], Perry was appointed a midshipman on  April 7, 1799 and assigned to his father's frigate, ''General Greene''. He first experienced combat on February 9, 1800 off [[Haiti]]. During the First Barbary War, he served on the ''Adams'' and commanded ''Nautilus'' during the capture of [[Derna]].
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Educated in Newport, [[Rhode Island]], Perry was appointed a midshipman on  April 7, 1799 and assigned to his father's frigate, ''General Greene''.  
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The frigate sailed June 2, 1799, joining USS ''Governor Jay'' in convoying five merchant ships bound to [[Havana]], [[Cuba]]. Damage suffered in a heavy gale caused her to put in at Havana for repairs. While there, [[Yellow fever]] struck throughout the crew. More than 20 perished and Captain Perry saile back to Newport, Rhode Island, on July 27 with 37 men in various stages of recovery. After a thorough cleaning, fumigation, and change of ballast, she departed Newport 23 September 1799 to take station at Cap Francois, San Domingo.
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Aboard the ''General Greene'', Oliver Perry participated in the [[Phony War]] with [[France]] and first experienced combat on February 9, 1800 off the island of [[Haiti]]. During the [[First Barbary War]], he served on the USS ''Adams'' and commanded USS ''Nautilus'' during the capture of [[Derna]].
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The ''General Greene'' remained on station at San Domingo for the following 6 months. In company with USS ''Boston'' on December 1, 1799, she assisted in the capture of schooner ''Flying Fish'' and retook the American schooner ''Weymouth'' captured by French privateer Hope. Much of her time was spent watching over the rebellion against [[Toussaint Louverture|General Toussaint]] in Haiti. She blockaded the port of Jaemel to cut off supplies of the revolutionist. The frigate gave direct gunfire support to General Toussaint's army in the capture of Jaemel on February 27, 1800. She remained there as a possible haven for American citizens until April 27; then sailed with two representatives sent by General Toussaint for audience with the [[President of the United States]], [[John Adams]]. Touching New Orleans, Louisiana, she embarked General James Wilkinson and his family for transport home. She then proceeded as escort to 12 merchant ships bound to Havana, then to Newport, where the ''General Greene'' arrived on July 21, 1800.
  
 
==Military Career==
 
==Military Career==
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[[Category:History of the United States]]
 
[[Category:History of the United States]]
  
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Revision as of 23:23, 19 May 2007

Oliver Hazard Perry

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the War of 1812 against Britain. Perry and his men constructed a squadron of ships and proceeded to defeat a British squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie. Perry’s victory insured the United States control of Lake Erie for the rest of the war.

Early Life

He was the son of Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, and his younger brother was Matthew C. Perry, the brother-in-law of John Slidell.

Educated in Newport, Rhode Island, Perry was appointed a midshipman on April 7, 1799 and assigned to his father's frigate, General Greene.

The frigate sailed June 2, 1799, joining USS Governor Jay in convoying five merchant ships bound to Havana, Cuba. Damage suffered in a heavy gale caused her to put in at Havana for repairs. While there, Yellow fever struck throughout the crew. More than 20 perished and Captain Perry saile back to Newport, Rhode Island, on July 27 with 37 men in various stages of recovery. After a thorough cleaning, fumigation, and change of ballast, she departed Newport 23 September 1799 to take station at Cap Francois, San Domingo.

Aboard the General Greene, Oliver Perry participated in the Phony War with France and first experienced combat on February 9, 1800 off the island of Haiti. During the First Barbary War, he served on the USS Adams and commanded USS Nautilus during the capture of Derna.

The General Greene remained on station at San Domingo for the following 6 months. In company with USS Boston on December 1, 1799, she assisted in the capture of schooner Flying Fish and retook the American schooner Weymouth captured by French privateer Hope. Much of her time was spent watching over the rebellion against General Toussaint in Haiti. She blockaded the port of Jaemel to cut off supplies of the revolutionist. The frigate gave direct gunfire support to General Toussaint's army in the capture of Jaemel on February 27, 1800. She remained there as a possible haven for American citizens until April 27; then sailed with two representatives sent by General Toussaint for audience with the President of the United States, John Adams. Touching New Orleans, Louisiana, she embarked General James Wilkinson and his family for transport home. She then proceeded as escort to 12 merchant ships bound to Havana, then to Newport, where the General Greene arrived on July 21, 1800.

Military Career

At his request during the War of 1812 he was given command of U.S. Naval forces on Lake Erie. He supervised the building of a small fleet at what is now Erie, Pennsylvania. On September 10, 1813 Perry's fleet defended against an attacking British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie. During the battle Perry's flagship the Lawrence was destroyed and Perry rowed a half-mile through heavy gunfire to transfer command to the Niagara, carrying his battle flag which read DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP, a famous battle cry of naval hero James Lawrence. His battle report after victory is famous: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."

While this opened Canada up to possible invasion, it simultaneously protected the entire Ohio Valley. It was the only significant fleet engagement of the war.

Perry was honored on 90-cent postage stamps of the late 19th century; this one is from 1879.

In 1819, during an expedition to the Orinoco River in Venezuela, he died of disease caused by indigenous insects while aboard the U.S. Schooner Nunsuch. His body was originally buried in Port of Spain, Trinidad but his remains were later reinterred in Newport, Rhode Island. After briefly resting in the Old Common Burial Ground in Newport, his body was moved a final time to Newport's Island Cemetery where his brother Matthew Perry is also buried.

Monuments and memorials

Perry, New York; Perry, Ohio; Perrysburg, Ohio, Hazard, Kentucky and Perry, Iowa are named in his honor, as are many other towns and cities. All ten "Perry Counties" in the United States are also named in honor of him: Perry County, Alabama; Perry County, Arkansas; Perry County, Illinois; Perry County, Indiana; Perry County, Kentucky; Perry County, Tennessee; Perry County, Mississippi; Perry County, Missouri; Perry County, Ohio and Perry County, Pennsylvania. There is also Perryopolis, a borough located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

A memorial was erected at his grave site in Newport. There are also monuments to Perry at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Various school districts throughout the country are named in Perry's honor. There is a middle school in Providence, Rhode Island, the state in which Perry was born, entitled Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School; it is sometimes shortened and called Perry Middle School or abbreviated as OHP. Commodore Perry School District in Hadley, Pennsylvania, Perry Middle School in Worthington, Ohio Perry Elementary School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the Perry School District in Perry, Ohio, are among others.

During the 20th century, the United States Navy named the lead ship of a class of guided missile frigates after Perry, the Oliver Hazard Perry class. See USS Perry for other ships named for him.

A beer — The Commodore Perry India Pale Ale — at Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio is named for him.


References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Dillon, Richard. We have met the enemy: Oliver Hazard Perry, wilderness commodore. New York: McGraw-Hill 1978. ISBN 9780070169814
  • Dutton, Charles J. Oliver Hazard Perry. Cranbury, NJ: Scholar's Bookshelf 2006. ISBN 9780945726364
  • Lewis, Charles Lee. Famous American naval officers. Essay index reprint series. Freeport, N.Y.: Books for Libraries Press 1971. ISBN 9780836921700
  • Perry, Oliver Hazard, and John E. Howard. Hunting expeditions of Oliver Hazard Perry: as recorded in the diaries kept from 1836 through 1855. DeForest, Wis: St. Hubert's Press 1994. ISBN 9780963309433
  • Skaggs, David Curtis. Oliver Hazard Perry: honor, courage, and patriotism in the early U.S. Navy. Library of naval biography. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press 2006. ISBN 9781591147923

External links

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